Sudan seizes 3 newspapers for covering protests over food prices

Friday February 9 2018

A man at a bakery in Khartoum, Sudan, on January 5, 2018. The government has seized the print runs of three newspapers covering protests against high food prices. PHOTO | ASHRAF SHAZLY | AFP

In Summary

Opposition groups have organised repeated demonstrations since bread prices jumped in early January when a government decision to leave wheat imports to the private sector triggered a sharp rise in the cost of flour.

Several journalists were arrested while covering protests in Khartoum last month. Most have since been released.

Sudanese security agents seized the entire print-runs of three newspapers on Thursday after they covered food price protests in Khartoum and other towns, their editors said.

Opposition groups have organised repeated demonstrations since bread prices jumped in early January when a government decision to leave wheat imports to the private sector triggered a sharp rise in the cost of flour.

Several newspapers have criticised the government's decision, and on Thursday agents of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) confiscated the print-runs of Al-Tayar, Al-Midan and Al-Jadida newspapers.